Debates of June 6th, 2005

Alternative Energy

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in the town of Okotoks, Swindells Pool, the Murray and Piper arenas, and the recycling and operations centres are all heated, cooled and lit using solar technology.

In Vulcan, residents are becoming leaders in renewable energy use. A plan to use football field sized solar panels and biomass energy would cut Vulcan's non-renewable energy use by 40% to 60% and heat homes and water.

In Willow Creek, the McBride Lake wind farm powers more than 32,500 homes annually with wind energy.

Efforts to increase slaughter capacity led to an environmentally innovative beef processing plant planned for Pincher Creek.

The 250 head per day New Generation Co-op will use bio-digesters to convert animal waste into bio-gas, killing BSE prions and other organisms in the intense heat. The bio-digester will generate electricity to operate the plant, with the excess sold to the grid creating 110 jobs locally.

Canadian Forces

[Keith Martin, Liberal, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday was Canadian Forces Day and today is the anniversary of D-Day.

Today we have the distinct opportunity to recognize and thank the men and women in uniform and their families for the tremendous sacrifices they make on our behalf.

Today in Parliament we have 12 of those forces members, accompanied by Canada's dynamic chief of the defence staff, General Rick Hillier. They are Lieutenant Kabesh, Master Seaman Mackintosh, Leading Seaman MacDonald, Corporal Byne, Lieutenant Earl, Corporal Leclerc, Captain Selhi, Corporal Selig, Master Corporal O'Leary, Corporal Escobar, Captain Parker and Master Seaman Vallée. These members and the soldiers, sailors and air personnel they represent are our finest ambassadors. They serve our country with great dignity and courage.

On behalf of all Canadians, I give my profound thanks and gratitude to all of them for the service they give to our great nation with courage and dignity.

Arts and Culture

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I want to invite you to Winnipeg to witness a musical happening that is so spectacular it defies all description. You will have to come soon because the musical Strike! ends its world premier run on June 14 at Rainbow Stage in north Winnipeg.

This is the story of the 1919 Winnipeg general strike set to words and music, using song and dance, all an original score by Winnipeg producer Danny Schur and performed by a most excellent cast, all with Winnipeg roots and all union members. This is a performance that delights the senses, feeds the soul and stimulates civic discourse. It is about the power of collective action to make the world a better place. As Karen Toole said:

It...is about how racism restricts us all to stereotypes and denies the fullness of our humanity. It...is about how some people come to presume privilege while others end up trapped in that world of day after day repetition of labour that leads nowhere except into fear and despair.

Congratulations to dream weaver Danny Schur, the entire cast and all sponsors.

Astronomy

[James Rajotte, Conservative, Edmonton—Leduc, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the progress made by astronomers in this country. A recent article in The New York Times applauded Canadian astronomers for delivering “the most scientific bang for the buck”. Such praise is generated as a result of Canada's growing stance on the international stage in the field of astronomy. This is witnessed by the fact that Canadian research is cited in scientific papers at a more frequent rate than that of any other country.

I call on the government to act on the recommendations from many groups, like the Canadian Coalition for Astronomy, to establish a single authority or single window to review big science projects like the long range plan for astronomy. A simplified application and review process would enable our researchers to continue to excel rather than devote precious lab time to paperwork.

We are extremely fortunate in Canada to have researchers and scientists of this calibre in this field. We have indeed travelled far.

Bernard Landry

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, one of the great architects of the Parti Québécois has just stepped down from political activity.

Thanks to his determination, Quebec has the political tools to carry us into the future. His unshakeable faith in the ability of the Quebec nation to govern itself and his unconditional attachment to Quebeckers have made him a fierce proponent of sovereignty for our country, Quebec.

He fought in every battle of the past 40 years. An activist, a responsible statesman, and great democrat, Bernard Landry has plowed the fields and sowed the seeds of our future. He has laid the foundation that will lead Quebec to national independence and one day the people of Quebec will reap the benefits.

The members of the Bloc Québécois wish this great citizen and his wife a long and peaceful retirement and sincerely hope they will continue to support the people of Quebec along the path to its destiny.

China

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians remember the brutal events of 16 years ago when Chinese authorities attacked students and protesters gathering in Tiananmen Square. Using tanks and deadly force, the Communist Party of China crushed the pro-democracy demonstration. Thousands of Chinese citizens were killed, and many more were detained in connection with the protest.

Even today there are as many as 250 people who remain unjustly imprisoned for Tiananmen related activities. The government of China refuses to acknowledge these crimes and continues to deny the Chinese people basic human rights. The people of China are denied the rights of free expression and thought, the rights of assembly and association and the right to worship freely.

Canadians condemn the continued repression in China and call on the government of China to immediately end restrictions on political and religious freedoms.

Member for Labrador

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Exploits, NL]

Mr. Speaker, on May 24 the electors in the riding of Labrador went to the polls in a byelection and the results were clear. With a solid majority, Labrador renewed its trust in the government and put its trust in the young man who today officially takes office as the member of Parliament for Labrador.

The new member for Labrador, while the newest and one of the youngest members of the House, already has an impressive record of public service. For 10 years he was president of the Labrador Métis nation. More recent, he served as co-chair of the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples. Above all, he has always been a strong advocate, not only for the LMN but for all who call Labrador home.

My colleagues and I look forward to working with the member for Labrador in the coming months and years to continue the government's initiatives on behalf of the people of Labrador. We welcome him to the House and look forward to seeing him in Labrador, at his invitation, in the very near future.

New Member

[The Speaker]

I have the honour to inform the House that the Clerk of the House has received from the Chief Electoral Officer a certificate of the election and return of the following member:

Mr. Todd Norman Russell, for the electoral district of Labrador.

Todd Norman Russell, member for the electoral district of Labrador, introduced by the Right Hon. Paul Martin and the Hon. Claudette Bradshaw.

Inquiry by Ethics Commissioner

[The Speaker]

Before question period begins, I would like to make a brief statement.

On Friday, June 3, I received a letter from Mr. Bernard Shapiro, the Ethics Commissioner, informing me that he is, at the request of a member of Parliament, undertaking an inquiry that will deal with alleged breaches of conduct that include the inducements allegedly sought or offered between the member for Newton—North Delta and the Minister of Health and the surreptitious taping of conversations and the alleged entrapment by the member for Newton--North Delta.

The commissioner went on to call to my attention sections 27 to 29 of the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons which stands as an appendix to our Standing Orders, notably subsection 27(5), which reads as follows:

Once a request for an inquiry has been made to the Ethics Commissioner, members should respect the process established by this Code and permit it to take place without commenting further on the matter.

All House leaders were advised of this on June 3.

Before question period begins today, I wish to advise all members that I will be enforcing the Code of Conflict provisions that the House has adopted for itself with respect to both questions and answers. I ask for the cooperation of all hon. members in this matter.

Taxation

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, David Stewart Patterson, vice-president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, is critical of the government's budget deal with the NDP, stating, “it is nothing more than a postdated blank cheque that would give the cabinet blanket authority over a $4.5 billion slush fund”.

With over $26 billion in unbridled spending announcements, there seems to be money for everything except tax relief.

The Prime Minister's do anything, say anything, cling to power strategy will hurt Canada's competitiveness in the global market. The Prime Minister has cleverly sent his own tax bills offshore.

Having bought members of Parliament votes, when will he stop trying to buy Canadian voters with their own money and give them meaningful tax relief?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, it was the Prime Minister, when he was the minister of finance, who introduced over $100 billion worth of tax reduction for Canadians.

In every budget since we balanced the books in 1997, the government has reduced the tax burden on Canadians. We have steadily moved down that burden in order to increase the competitiveness and the productivity of the Canadian economy, and we will continue to do so.

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

Just ask Canadians if they think they are getting a fair tax deal, Mr. Speaker.

The limp deal-making Prime Minister promised the NDP to increase government spending in exchange for support for his corrupt government. Now the Canadian Chamber of Commerce is criticizing his recklessness with the finances of the nation. The chamber says, “The government has done a complete flip-flop. Despite the importance of having a competitive tax structure...the government's focus has turned away from tax reform”.

Like so many of his previous red book reversals, why has the Prime Minister again abandoned his commitment to future tax relief for Canadians to preserve his own political future?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, even with the revisions proposed with respect to Bill C-48, there remains over $7 billion worth of tax reductions in Bill C-43, particularly aimed at lower and middle income Canadians.

I would point out that Bill C-48 itself calls for the government to avoid a deficit. It calls for the federal budget to be in surplus. It calls for $2 billion per year to be applied on debt paydown. That is all consistent with the fundamental principles of fiscal responsibility.

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is having nightmares about the Prime Minister's excessive spending. Its president, Catherine Swift, said, “Such irresponsible pre-election spending is a blatant breach of the commitment on financial prudence.”

Why has the Prime Minister engaged in this bout of reckless spending that could result in a significant tax increase for Canadians?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the difference in spending that is contemplated in Bill C-48 works out to about a 1% difference in profile. That spending is devoted toward more affordable housing, toward more post-secondary education, toward a cleaner environment and toward enhanced foreign aid. All those things are in perfect sync with what Canadians want.

The Budget

[Monte Solberg, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, if it was in perfect sync that would be great, but it looks like it is going down the toilet.

I know the Prime Minister is a shipping magnate, but that does not give him a right to spend like a drunken sailor. In fact, even the Prime Minister's favourite magazine, The Economist , says that he has thrown caution to the wind. Another business leader has reminded the Prime Minister that “Gimme, gimme, gimme does not count as a national economic strategy”.

Will the Prime Minister withdraw from his deal with the NDP before he staggers off the gangplank?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of staggering, I wonder if the hon. gentleman will tell us just exactly why he opposes funding for affordable housing? Why does he oppose funding for post-secondary education and learning? Why does he oppose funding for urban transit and a cleaner environment? Why does he oppose funding for foreign aid after his leader wrote a letter demanding it?

[Monte Solberg, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what is staggering is the hypocrisy of the minister. He is the one who said to the NDP that he could not afford to give those things. If they were so great, why were they not in the original budget?

All of this back of the napkin spending paves the way to waste, corruption and spending that will not get any results. When will the Prime Minister put prudence ahead of politics and tell the NDP to take a hike before he has to hike taxes to pay for everything?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the incredible flipping and flopping of the opposition is what created the controversy around Bill C-43.

I would point out to the hon. member that an arrangement was possible to invest more in housing, post-secondary education, the environment and foreign aid because we had the precondition that there would be no deficit, that the budget would be balanced, that we would run surpluses, and that we would pay down the debt at the rate of at least $2 billion per year.

Audiotaped Conversations

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the Prime Minister's chief of staff, whose conversations are not subject to the Ethics Commissioners' inquiry, negotiated at length with the member for Newton—North Delta and that a criminal offence may possibly have been committed during those negotiations.

On June 2 in this House, the Deputy Prime Minister answered as follows: “It is quite clear that the only thing the Prime Minister knew was that in fact the member for Newton—North Delta had approached our side of the House, interested in leaving the official opposition.”

Did the Prime Minister also know that a criminal offence might have been committed during the negotiating back and forth between his chief of staff and the member for Newton—North Delta?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, first, I believe we ought to follow the recommendation read by the Speaker of the House concerning the request from the Ethics Commissioner.

All I can tell you is that, according to the experts who have examined these tapes, we are dealing with altered tapes. Their credibility, along with that of the member for Newton—North Delta, is open to question.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we did in fact consult the Speaker of the House as to whether we could ask questions about Mr. Murphy. For the Prime Minister's information, the answer was yes.

My question is, therefore, justified and I will ask it again. Did Mr. Murphy notify the Prime Minister that a criminal offence had been committed? Mr. Murphy's line of defence in support of the fact that there was apparently no actual offer was that the member had approached them about selling his vote. That is his line of defence.

Was the Prime Minister informed by Mr. Murphy that an MP wanted to sell his vote? That is the question. I have the right to ask it and he has the duty to answer it.

[Tony Valeri, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the member is basing his questions on tapes that have been proven by many audio experts to have been manipulated. Mr. Jack Mitchell, the forensic sound expert hired by the Globe and Mail , said:

These tapes have been edited. This is not a maybe. This is not something that's unexplained. This is not, “Oh, this is odd”. This is a definitive statement. The tapes have been edited.

That is what the hon. member is basing his questions on, on tapes that have in fact been edited as has been stated by experts.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is based on these same tapes that Tim Murphy contends he made no offer, but that requests were made, which is an offence under the law. That is Mr. Murphy's version. The Deputy Prime Minister responded last Thursday that Mr. Murphy had never told the Prime Minister there were requests constituting a criminal offence.

I would ask the Prime Minister whether what the Deputy Prime Minister told me is true, that is, that Mr. Murphy never informed him? Let him answer me. It is his duty.

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, let me clarify for the hon. leader of the Bloc Québécois what I said. I said the Prime Minister was aware that the member in question was interested in crossing the floor. The Prime Minister at that point made it absolutely clear that no offer was to be made.